In a trio of $68,493 divisions of the fourth leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series at MGM Yonkers Raceway on Monday, April 20, Captain Albano and Mossdale Ben N scored for the second time in the series, while Howlenthehills got his first Borgata victory.
Captain Albano waited in the pocket behind Sweet Beach Life (Matt Kakaley) through fractions of :27.4, :57.2 and 1:25, and when Todd McCarthy sent Captain Albano to the outside in the lane, he out-finished the pacesetter to prevail by a neck in 1:52. Soho Firestone A (Scott Zeron) finished in the third spot.
A two-time Dan Patch Award recipient, the Noel Daley-trained Captain Albano is a five-year-old Captaintreacherous-Angelou stallion owned by Patricia Stables LLC, L. A. Express Stable LLC, Sjoblom Racing Inc. and Michael Dolan. Captain Albano is a 28-time victor from 49 outings and has pocketed $2,901,730. He paid $2.72 to win as the 1-5 choice.
Mossdale Ben N (Jim Marohn Jr.) backed up his triumph last Monday as he tallied in the first section in 1:52.1. He got to the lead around Donegal Luther N (Yannick Gingras) before the :27.2 quarter and continued to show the way through a :56.4 half and a 1:24.2 three-quarters. Catalpa Rescue A (Zeron) pestered him from first-up to the third station and Coaches Corner (Jason Bartlett) worked out a second-over journey. Coaches Corner was sent three-wide by Bartlett on the final bend and gained on Mossdale Ben N to the wire, but not enough, as Mossdale Ben N hit the line a neck in front. Donegal Luther N wound up third.
An eight-year-old gelding by A Rocknroll Dance-Mossdale Sue, Mossdale Ben N is trained by Peter Tritton for owner PJT Investments LLC. Mossdale Ben N has 21 wins and has earned $938,208. He returned $4.64 to win as the 6-5 favourite.
Howlenthehills (Kakaley) won an early skirmish for command and went on to a 1:52.3 victory in the second flight. Aroda N (Lauren Tritton), Aye Aye Captain N (Brent Holland) and Howlenthehills all showed early speed, but it was Howlenthehills who touched down on the point prior to the :27.3 quarter as Aye Aye Captain N found the pocket and Aroda N landed in the three-hole.
Middle-half panels of :56.4 and 1:24.1 followed for Howlenthehills, and his :28.2 kicker got him to the wire 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Twisted Destiny (Dexter Dunn). The latter went first-up from fourth before three-quarters and flushed out eventual third-place finisher Aye Aye Captain N from the two-hole, then out-finished him for second.
Travis Alexander sent out Howlenthehills, a five-year-old gelded son of American Ideal-Arielle Lynn, for owners M Spacc Stables, Fiddler's Creek Stables LLC, Alexander Racing Stable LLC and First Sight Stable. Howlenthehills made his 17th career trip to the winner's circle and has now put away $1,113,943 in 49 starts. He paid $18.06 to win as an 8-1 offering.
The last preliminary round in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series will take place on Monday, April 27 before the $200,000 USD (added) final and $100,000 USD (guaranteed) consolation on Friday, May 8.
Stakes action at Yonkers continues this week with the $100,000 USD final and $50,000 USD consolation of the John Brennan Trotting Series on Wednesday and three $50,000 USD divisions of the final leg of the MGM Ursula McIntyre Pacing Series on Friday.
This is the final week that Yonkers is on the Monday-through-Friday live racing schedule for a while as the oval will switch to a Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-through-Saturday slate beginning next week and continuing through the first week in June. Post time will be 6:45 p.m. except Saturday, as those programs will kick off at 3:30 p.m.
(Yonkers Raceway)